2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN belt

Driving safety
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:> page 294. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 269.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­ hicle is in use.
To reduce the r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, yo ur passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
i n g:
• For adjustable head restra ints: adjust the head
r estra int so the uppe r edge is as even as poss i­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to ad just the head restra int so th at it
is as close to this position as possib le
c:> page 61.
• Keep both feet flat i n the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c:> page264.
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a ch ild restraint that is approp riate
for their size and age
c::> page 294.
_& WARNING
Passenge rs who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash .
- E ach passenger m ust always sit on a seat o f
their own an d properly fas ten and we ar the
sa fe ty belt belongi ng to th at sea t.
- Safe ty belt s only offe r max imum p rotection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched . By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal in ju ry from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
252
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to : vehicles with adjustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 2 18 Head rest ra in t: viewed from t he front
The head rest raints must be corre ctly adjus ted to
a chieve t he best protec tion .
• Adjust the head rest raint so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of you r head . If
t ha t is no t possib le, try to adjus t the head re­
s trai nt so that it is as close to this pos it ion as
possible
c:> fig. 218 .
• Applies to: forward/back adjustable head re ­
straints: Move the head restraint so that it is as
close to the back of the head as possib le.
• If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch .
Adjust ing head restraints
c:>page 61.
_& WARNING
All seats are eq uipped w ith head restraints .
Driving w ithout head restraints or w ith head
restraints that are not prope rly adjusted in­
creases the r is k of se rious or fata l neck injury
dr amat ic al ly. T o help reduce t he risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly adjusted.

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
-Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted hea d restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head res traint. Adjus t
t h e head restra int so the upper edge is as
even as possib le with the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, try to adjust the h ead
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Applies to: forward/back adjustable head
restra ints: Move the head restra int so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possi­
ble.
- Never attempt to adjust head restra int
wh ile driving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the dr iver head rest for any rea­
son, first s top the veh icle sa fely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restraint .
- C hildren mus t always be p roperly res trained
in a ch ild restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
i::> page 294.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
I mp roper seating posi tions can cause se rious in ­
ju ry o r death. Safety bel ts can only work when
they are p roperly positioned on the body. Im ­
proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and w ill even increase the r is k of
in ju ry and death by moving the safety belt to crit­
ical areas of t he body. Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys a nd strikes an occupant
who is not i n the prope r seat ing pos ition . A d rive r
i s respons ib le for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especia lly fo r children. Therefo re:
"" Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos it ion when t he ve hicle is being used
i::, & -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po ­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious in jury
a nd death. O ur hope is that these examp les w ill
make you more aw are of sea ting pos it io ns tha t
ar e dange ro us.
Dri ving saf ety
Th erefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-neve r st an d up i n the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- never ride wit h the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the seats
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on t he edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet out the wi ndow
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
--
Improper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal in ju ry and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
stay in a proper seating posit ion and are
proper ly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to : vehicles wit h knee airbags
A WARNING
Always ma ke su re t hat the knee airbag can i n­
fl ate w ithout interfe rence. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can in cre ase the risk
of inju ry in an accident by interfering with the
way the ai rbag dep loys o r by being pushed in­
to you as the ai rbag dep loys.
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serio us or fatal injur ies.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's seat. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can hamper or prevent
~
253

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Active rollover protection system
Function
Applies to: vehicles wit h power top
The rollover protection system protects vehicle
occupants in the event of a rollov er.
........ ..._____ ----
F ig. 220 Re ar seats: rol lb ar deploy men t ran ge
----
Fig. 221 Rear seats: deployed rollbar
,.-., I ~--, 1' I
' ' I ' I I
The ac tive rollover prote ction sys tem consists of :
- two ro llbars
- the safety belts with belt tensioners
- the windshie ld frame
- the rollover sensors
The active rollover prote ction system provides
additional sa fety in the event of a rollover . With­
in m illiseconds, sensors deploy two rollbars lo ­
cated behind the head restraints in the rear seats
¢ fig. 221 .
The rollbars, re inforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect front and rear pas ­
sengers in the event of a rollover .
The rollover protec tion system functions when
t he power top is both open and closed .
Dri ving safety
A WARNING
Do not use the area behind the rear seat head
restraints
¢ fig . 220 as a seat or storage area .
This is the area where the rollbars deploy . If
the rollover protection system is t riggered,
objects placed there can be p ropelled th rough
the veh icle and ma ke it more diffic ult for the
r ollbars to deploy. This increases the risk for
serious or life -threatening injuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Applies to: veh icles w ith power top
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll­
over.
Depend ing on the co llision, senso rs thro ughout
the vehicle and the co ntro l modu le trigger the
rollove r system to deploy.
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de­
ploys during front, s ide and rear collisions above
a certain level of severity.
Retracting rollover protection
Applies to: veh icles w ith power top
Fig . 222 De ployed ro llbar wi th release loo p.
-
~
8
> CD a,
Fig. 223 De ployed ro llbar w ith powe r to p frame facing up·
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257

Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
"'Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother
-throughout
the entire pregnancy .
Number of seats
Applies to: vehicles without power top: Your Audi
has a total of five seating positions: two in the
front and three in the rear . Each seating position
has a safety belt .
Applies to: vehicles with power top: Your Audi
has a total of four seating positions: two in the
front and two in the rear. Each seating position
has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
260
-Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt. It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap .
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
- Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint .
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Fig. 224 Safety belt warning ligh t in the instrument clus ­
ter
-enlarged
Before driving off, always:
"' Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
U) N Ill 0 ..:. "'Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts .
"' Protect children with a child restraint system
appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts. In addition , you will hear
a warning tone for a certain period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
A WARNING -
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
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injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protect ion and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving .
- Failure to pay attention to the warn ing light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig . 225 Unbe lted occupants in a veh icle head ing fo r a wall
Fig . 2 26 The ve hicle c rashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­
ies w ith veh icle speed and body we ight. Engi­
neers call this energy "k inetic energy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's we ight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most signif icant facto r. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
SO km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of t his veh icle are not us­
ing safety
belts ~ fig. 225, they will keep mov ing
Safet y bel ts
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the
wall ~ fig. 226 .
The same p rinciples apply to people s itting in a
vehicle that is invo lved in a fronta l co llision. Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to SO km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton (2,000 lbs, o r 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to the ir vehicle . In a frontal col lis ion
they will also keep mov ing forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions , they determine wha t happens
in a ll kinds of accidents and co llisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted oc cupants cannot stop
them selves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fi g. 227 A driver not wear ing a safe ty belt is violen tly
throw n forward
Fig. 228 A rea r passe nge r not we aring a safety be lt w ill fly
forwa rd a nd strike t he drive r
Ill-
261

Safety belts
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in­
strument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the
way ¢ fig. 227. This impact with the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be­
fore the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only add itional
protection . Airbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protection in those accidents in which
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown out of the vehicle where even
more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers
in the rear seats endanger not only themselves
but also the driver and other passengers
c> fig . 228 . In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit a nd
injure the driver and/or front seat passenger.
262
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
Fig. 229 Driver is correctly res trained in a sudde n braking
maneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence . Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­
plied to the body in an accident, and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "softly" through the
"give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
kinetic energy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal
collision, safety belts can also substantially re­
duce the risk of injury in other kinds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too . Accident statistics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident. Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supplemental airbags to do their job in a col­ lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada.
.,.

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
Although your Audi is equipped with ai rbags, yo u
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for examp le, are activated on ly in some
frontal coll is ions. The front a irbags are not acti­
vated in all frontal coll is ions, in side and rear col­
lisions, in roll overs or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other airbag
sys tems in yo ur Audi . So, always wea r you r safety
be lt and ma ke sure eve rybody in yo ur vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned across the strongest bones of your body.
~ Always wea r sa fety be lts as i llust ra ted and de ­
scribed in this chapter.
~ Make sure that your safety belts are a lways
ready for use and are not damaged .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im ­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death . Safety be lts can work only
when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly be­
fore dr iving off and make sure all passen­
gers are correct ly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must
always be pos it io ned p roperly on the body .
- Never strap more tha n one person, includ­
ing small ch ildren, into any belt .
- Never place a safety be lt over a chi ld sitt ing
on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front of
the seat w hile the vehicle is be ing driven.
- Never let any pe rson ride w ith their feet on
the instrument pane l or st icking out the
window or on the seat .
- Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is mov ing. Do ing so w ill inc rease your r isk of
being in ju red or k illed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid o r breakab le ob-
jects in or on your clot hing, such as eye
Safet y be lts
g lasses, pens, keys, etc ., as t hese may ca use
in jur y.
- Never a llow safety belts to become dam ­
aged by be ing ca ught in door or seat hard­
ware.
- Do not wear t he shoulder part of the belt
under yo ur arm or otherwise o ut of pos ition.
- Several layers of heavy clothing may inter ­
fe re with co rrect pos ition ing of be lts and re ­
duce the ove rall effectiveness of the system.
- Always keep be lt buck les free of anything
that may prevent the buck le from latch ing
securely.
- Never use comfort cl ips or dev ices that cre­
ate s lack in t he shoulder belt. However, spe­
cial clips may be required for the proper use
of some child restraint systems.
- Torn or frayed safety be lts can tear, and
damaged be lt hardware ca n break in an acci­
dent. Inspect be lts regularly . If webb ing,
b indings, buckles, or retractors are dam­
aged, have belts rep laced by an author ized
Aud i deale r or q ualified wo rkshop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and loaded
i n an ac cident must be repla ced with the
cor rect replaceme nt sa fe ty belt by an a u­
thor ized A udi dealer. Rep lacement may be
necessary even if damage cannot be clea rly
seen . Anchorages t hat we re loaded must a l­
so be inspected.
- Neve r remove, modify, disassemble, o r try
to repair the safety belts yourse lf .
-A lways keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may
not wor k prope rly and ca n impair the func ­
tion of the inert ia reel
c> table Interior
cleaning on page 356.
263

Safe ty belts
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
F ig. 230 Belt buckle and tong ue o n the dr iver's seat
N ± ... a,
To prov ide max imum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear ­
er's body .
"'Adjust the fro nt sea t and head restra int proper­
ly
¢ page 59 , Front seats .
"'Make su re the seatback of the rear sea t bench
is in an upright position and secure ly latched in
place before using the
belt ¢.&_ .
"'Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelvis ¢ fig. 230, ¢ .&_.
"'Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
you r seat until you hear it latch securely .
"' Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
l atched in the buck le.
Autom atic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retractor on the shoulder belt . This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
du ring hard braking and in an accident . The be lt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
h ill or th rough a sharp curve. Dur ing no rma l dr iv­
i n g the bel t lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
Safety belts w ith pretensioners help to tighten
the safety belt and remove slack when the pre­ tensioners a re
activated ¢ page 267. The func­
tion of the pretens ioner is moni to red by a w arn­
ing
light¢ page 26.
264
Convertible lock ing retractor
Eve ry safe ty belt except the one on t he d river
seat is equipped with a convertib le lock ing retrac ­
tor that
mu st be used when the safety be lt is
used to attach a ch ild seat. Be sure to read the
i mportant information about this feature
¢ page 305 .
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious inj ury in an
accident ¢ page 265,
Safety belt position .
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is up right and belts are
properly posit ioned on the body .
- Always make sure that the rear seat back ­
rest to which the center rear safety belt* is
at tached is securely latched whenever the
rear cen ter safety belt is being used.
If the
b ackrest is not sec urely latche d, the passen­
ger will move forward with the bac krest du r­
ing sudden b raking, in a sudden maneuver
and especia lly in a crash.
-Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety be lt e ffec­
tiveness and can cause serio us personal in­
jury.
-A passenge r who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into cri tical areas like the abdo­
men .
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor when yo u are securing a c hild seat in the ve­
h icle
~ page 307.